JAKARTA, 13 August 2026 – The ASEAN Secretariat, in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of the Philippines and the British Council, hosted the Validation Workshop of the Regional Landscape Study on the Establishment of the ASEAN Center of Excellence for Creative Industries (ACE-CI) at the ASEAN Headquarters, today.

The establishment of the ACE-CI has been identified as one of the Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) under the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairship. The workshop was opened by Assistant Secretary Nylah Rizza Bautista of the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines, Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community, and Helen Fazey, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to ASEAN.

The workshop convened cross-pillars representatives from the ASEAN Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting (SEOM), the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting on Culture and Arts (SOMCA), and the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting Responsible for Information (SOMRI). Delegates engaged in interactive discussions to validate baseline data on ASEAN’s creative economy ecosystem, establishing a key foundation for the ACE-CI’s future governance and operational frameworks.